"MONSTERS": NICO ROBIN AND ZORO BEFORE ONE PIECE - THE PLOT

Before making One Piece, Eichiro Oda made short stories, among which is Monsters which is a preview of Zoro and Robin. I summarize the story here: in ancient times, the dragon was feared as absolute terror. Ten years ago, unknown thieves stole a dragon horn that had great powers and was kept in a castle: all the guards were killed. At present, in a village, Ryuma, a penniless samurai, is kicked out of a restaurant because he wanted to eat without paying. At the same time, in a tavern run by a girl called Flare, a distinguished guest is welcomed: the famous swordsman Shirano, served personally by Flare herself. It's been seven years since Shirano and Flare last saw each other, and there is a relationship of deep friendship between them.

At one point, the two look annoyed at the face of the samurai Ryuma who observes from the window, drooling, the food on Shirano's table. Flare, even though she doesn't know the samurai, takes pity, gives him free food: Ryuma hadn't eaten for five days and warmly thanks the girl, promising her that she will repay his debt with his own life. But the girl does not listen him and she greets the swordsman Shirano, with scorn of the samurai.

As Shirano walks away, his sheathed sword touches Ryuma's (it also is inside the sheath). Ryuma becomes angry and considers this an affront, to be repaid with a duel. Ryuma, however, fails to overwhelm Shirano, because he is a first level swordsman: in fact, in the end Shirano points the blade towards his throat. Flare tells the two to stop and Ryuma immediately obeys, bowing deeply in front of the girl, disconcerting everyone.

At the same time, an unknown man, who is a third level swordsman (Shirano, as we have said, is of the first level), walks along the streets of the village. Meanwhile, Ryuma inquires about Shirano from a bartender, who tells him the story they all know: seven years ago, a village was attacked by a dragon, which has since caused the world to fear dragons. The neighboring villages could not do anything: but, from the ashes of the village, Shirano appeared, who had fought against the dragon and brought with him a little girl from the village, the only survivor: it was Flare, the owner of the tavern.

Even then Shirano was known as a great swordsman: his sword skills are second only to that of the Great Swordsman King, whom nobody knows and who is the strongest in the world. Samurai Ryuma plans to face him someday, saying that this "Great King" must have a great warrior soul, although Ryuma does not explain what exactly this "soul" is. As Ryuma walks the streets, he thinks of Flare and says that she is an admirable girl and you wouldn't think she has such a dark past. And maybe Shirano is her boyfriend. Suddenly, the third level swordsman, the one indicated above, smears the sheath of his sword with Ryuma's: an act of defiance. Ryuma immediately turns to him, who suddenly shouts: he says he was stabbed by Ryuma, while the samurai hadn't done anything to him.

The crowd around is upset, but Ryuma hadn't done anything and he doesn't understand what happened. The "victim" yells that Ryuma had stabbed him because of the Dragon's Horn, but Ryuma never will have it and he starts to sound inside a hollow horn. That thing, in fact, is the horn stolen ten years ago, with which dragons can be controlled. Then, the mysterious man breaks the horn after blowing in it and falls to the ground, apparently dead.

People are terrified, because he, blowing the horn, called a dragon, and breaking it made it impossible to control that beast. Everyone runs away, except Ryuma, thoughtful. But people surround him, blaming him for what he had done: even Flare, attracted by the noises, reaches Ryuma and gives him a slap. For Flare, Ryuma is a criminal who will bring about the demise of this village as happened to the village of Flare, which was destroyed by the dragon.

Perhaps there is hope: perhaps the broken horn was fake. But the swordsman Shirano, who has also arrived, says the horn is real, and it is unusable, now that it has been broken. The guards who guarded this horn ten years ago and were killed were Shirano's subordinates. The swordsman says he will fight the dragon. Flare, however, says it is impossible: no one can beat a dragon, not even Shirano! But he says he will fight anyway.

Ryuma is puzzled: this whole mess started with someone he didn't stabbed, so something is wrong. Then, he teases Shirano: after all, the dragon had attacked the village of Flare by surprise seven years ago: but, now that everyone knows that it will arrive, it is enough for the inhabitants to run away and their lives will be saved. So why Shirano remains, fighting the dragon? Only to save the houses? But immediately everyone accuses Ryuma: it was his fault that all this happened, Ryuma should just kill himself doing harakiri! He gets angry, but Shirano stops everyone saying that what matters to him is that all the inhabitants run away, he will fight alone against the dragon. If he dies, he asks their forgiveness. Flare, the girl, is speechless. Everyone has escaped, except Ryuma and Flare, who are alone in the girl's inn. The samurai asks the girl if a dragon is so scary, as she often says. Flare thinks back to the dragon she had seen as a child and feels the chills: then she runs away. She wants to stop Shirano, she doesn't want him to die: Ryuma follows her and tells her that it's useless. Flare then tells him that Shirano is fighting to save everyone, even an abject being like Ryuma who made the mess.

Flare reaches Shirano and sees him with the fake dead "stabbed" by Ryuma, who are stealing all the jewels and valuables of the village. Flare is upset, and Ryuma takes her away: if they see her, they kill her.

Flare is completely demoralized, while Shirano and the other (named only by the initials, D.R.) giggle about what they did: in fact they were the ones who stole the horn, killing the guards, who were Shirano's subordinates. They called the dragon seven years ago, and the broken horn was fake (but the horn that D.R. had used to play earlier was the real one). They lived the good life for seven years and thought about repeating the coup. The meeting between Shirano and Flare at the village inn had been accidental: he didn't know that the girl he had "saved" was there. In fact, seven years ago, Shirano had found the little girl Flare in the village that he had devastated by the dragon and had saved her, while he had killed any survivors. The rescue of the child had served to Shirano to build his prestige as a "great swordsman" and "hero".

Flare has heard everything and she apologizes to Ryuma. She also tells him that he should run away, the dragon will come anyway. The girl retreats to her room and cries.

Ryuma stands in front of Shirano and D.R., saying that people who easily touch the sheaths of swords do not have "the soul of the warrior". Shirano, however, is a great swordsman, and confronts Ryuma: but he is beaten in an instant, in front of the astonished eyes of D.R.

Then D.R. uses the real horn: only with that he can control the dragon that he had called. It had taken him three years to be able to use it (that's why they attacked the village of Flare seven years ago and not ten, when they just stole the horn), and only he can use it to ward off the dragon. So Ryuma better give up, otherwise D.R. will let the dragon destroy the village. But Ryuma doesn't care: he's not from the village. As the dragon approaches, Flare waits resigned: she will die together with the village. She observes the dragon approaching, and also Ryuma running towards the monster: in a moment, in front of her eyes, the dragon is beheaded.

Flare reaches Ryuma, after she sees him cut the dragon: she regained her courage and sehe tells him she doesn't want to die anymore. The samurai tells her that it is actually not a good idea to let yourself die. Flare, however, tells Ryuma that she has never heard of him: yet he was strong enough to kill a dragon in an instant. The samurai replies that a battle should not be fought for fame, but to protect people. She also has had to fight twice for Flare, so the girl is indebted to him: one day she will return for free food.

Ryuma walks away, while the bartender who had spoken to him earlier says that "Ryuma" means "king": so that samurai is the famous Great Swordsman King who has the greatest "warrior soul".

(Continues here)

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Edited by joe 7 - 20/9/2021, 18:09